Can Money Buy Happiness free essay sample

However, happiness is one thing that is surely desired by all. Likewise having a lot of money is many a man’s desire. People aspire to have a big house, with a good job and expensive cars, and when they accomplish these wishes, they feel a sense of contentment. Being rich also benefits you in having the best medical care to live a healthy lifestyle, and having the best education to excel academically. Sometimes being rich means less stress, which assures a happier life. If you have a lot of money, you can afford to pay people to do things for you, thereby allowing you to have more time to enjoy life. Money can give you the freedom to pursue your passions. Nevertheless, money is not always good. Sometimes when people have everything, they have nothing to live for. The love of money also drives people to do sinful acts. Money can buy you a bed, but not sleep, in the same way, money can buy you a clock, but not time. We will write a custom essay sample on Can Money Buy Happiness? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page All of us have at some point in time or another seen extremely rich, wealthy and famous people unhappier than what we would expect them to be, given the amount of material benefits that they have. If money is all that you love, then that’s what you’ll receive. Money can’t buy you peace of mind. If people are rich, they might live in constant fear of being robbed or assaulted. Some rich people want to achieve a high social status, this may lead to them boasting, which can result in jealousy from friends and family or cause disputes. Materialism also seems to become a major issue. We need to realise that â€Å"The best things in life aren’t things†. For some people, the more they have, the more they want. Money cannot buy you love, so although you may be the richest person, you may still be lonely and unloved. When people are rich, they may find themselves surrounded with many friends and family, but if that same person were to lose everything, there is a good chance that he will be left with no one around him. If people who are rich help the poor and homeless, they can feel pleased seeing the smiles on the faces of the destitute. Some individuals who feel that money is everything would work for countless hours and have little to no sleep, just so that they can earn a lot of money. But if we consider the sacrifices: no sleep, no leisure time, no time with family, etcetera, spending all our time working just makes one more saddened and stressed. Many people spend their whole life collecting material wealth, but when they die they leave everything behind. We should live our life trying to store up treasures in heaven so that when we die, we could await our reward in eternity. We need to ask ourselves which is more valuable, money or happiness. However when we compare the benefits of being rich or being happy, we can clearly see that happiness is a far greater treasure than silver or gold. [616 words]

Pronoun Case on ACT English Tips and Practice Questions

Pronoun Case on ACT English Tips and Practice Questions SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Pronoun case is a grammar rule that tends to be broken by most English speakers. Perhaps of more concern to you, questions that test your knowledge of pronoun case often appear on the ACT. Master this rule and you’ll be one step closer to mastering the ACT English section. There are multiple pronoun rules that are tested in ACT English. This one is relatively straightforward and tends to be tested less often than ambiguous antecedents or pronoun antecedent agreement. However, if you are aiming for that 30+ score, you should be ready if you encounter a pronoun case question. In this post, I’ll do the following: Explain the difference between subjects and objects. Give you a clear understanding of pronoun case. Offer strategies that can help you correctly answer pronoun case questions. Provide you with practice questions so you can test what you’ve learned. Quick Review: What's a Pronoun? A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. The noun to which the pronoun refers is called the antecedent. Some examples of pronouns include I, he, she, it, me, him, her, their, we, andus. What Is Pronoun Case? Case refers to whether a pronoun is being used as a subject or an object. What Is a Subject? Simply, a subject is the noun that corresponds with a verb in a sentence. In a sentence in which there is an action, the subject is the noun that's doing the action. Here is an example: Dave likes techno music. Dave is the subject because he's doing the liking. In a sentence in which there's a description, typically using a form of the verb "to be," the subject is the noun that is being described. Check out this sentence: Dave is brilliant. Dave is the subject because he is the person who is brilliant. What Is an Object? An object is a noun that receives an action. An object can be a direct object, an object of a preposition, or an indirect object. This is an example sentence. The direct object of the verb is in bold: I opened the door. The direct object is "the door" because that is what I opened. Here is a sentence with an object of a preposition: Chuck spoke to his girlfriend. Chuck's girlfriend is the object because she is the person to whom he spoke. Also, an object of a preposition always follows a preposition. In this case, "girlfriend" follows the preposition "to." An indirect object comes before the direct object and indicates to whom or for whom the action is done and who is receiving the direct object. Here's an example sentence with the indirect object bolded: The government gave Matt a tax refund. Matt is the indirect object because the government gave a refund to him. He received the direct object.If you're confused by the concept of an indirect object, for pronoun case questions, just remember that the object receives the action, either directly or indirectly. Subject Pronouns Vs. Object Pronouns If a noun is being used as a subject, the noun can be replaced by a subject pronoun. If a noun is being used as an object, the noun can be replaced by an object pronoun. Here's a list of subject pronouns: SUBJECT PRONOUNS Here's a list of the object pronouns that correspond with the subject pronouns from above: OBJECT PRONOUNS If you understand everything up to this point, you're ready to take on pronoun case questions on the ACT. Here we go! Pronoun Case in ACT English The ACT tests whether you should use a subject or an object pronoun. You will be tested on the following subject/object pairs. I Vs. Me She, He Vs. Her, Him We Vs. Us They Vs. Them Let's go through the process of how to decide whether to use a subject or an object pronoun in a given sentence. ACT English Strategy Here are some example sentences demonstrating how subject pronouns can replace subjects and object pronouns can replace objects. Take a look at the following sentence: Nancy offered valuable guidance. Let's replace "Nancy" with a pronoun. First, we have to determine if Nancy is a subject or an object. What do you think? Nancy isthe subject because she did the offering. She did the action. Therefore, we must replace "Nancy" with a subject pronoun and the resulting sentence reads: She offered valuable guidance. You can't replace Nancy with an object pronoun. You can't write, "Her offered valuable guidance." That would be an example of a pronoun case error. Now we'll go through the same process with another example sentence: Dave Chappelle gave his autograph to Irene. To replace "Irene" with a pronoun, we have to determine if Irene is a subject or an object in the sentence. Well, in our example sentence, "Irene" is an object. Why? She is receiving what was given by the subject, and she is the object of the preposition "to." After replacing "Irene" with a pronoun, the sentence should look like this: Dave Chappelle gave his autograph to her. If we had made a pronoun case error when replacing "Irene" with a pronoun, the sentence would have read, "Dave Chappelle gave his autograph to she." This rule seems relatively simple, right? Subjects do actions. Objects receive actions. Well, we know the ACT likes to complicate the most basic sentences and truly test your understanding of a grammar rule. Pronoun case questions become more difficult in sentences with compound subjects and compound objects. The Same Rules Apply for Compound Subjects and Compound Objects Compound just means that two nouns are connected with the word "and." In a sentence with a compound subject, there are two nouns that serve as the subject. In a sentence with compound objects, there are two objects of the same verb. Here's another example sentence for you (I love examples!): Taylor Swift and Justinmet at Target. "Taylor Swift" and "Justin" are the subject. They are the people who did the meeting. They did the action. Now, let's replace "Justin" with a pronoun. We know that "Justin" is a subject so we have to replace "Justin" with a subject pronoun. Because I am Justin, this would be my sentence: Taylor Swift and I met at Target. If you were writing this sentence about me, this would be your sentence: Taylor Swift and he met at Target. That sentence probably sounds awkward to you, but it's grammatically correct. Most people would use the object pronoun and write, "Taylor Swift and him met at Target." That would be a pronoun case error. Remember, always follow the grammar rules and avoid relying on what "sounds right." Let's follow the same process with another example sentence: Hulk Hogan offered a red bandana to Marc and Justin. Again, we'll replace "Justin" with a pronoun. In the above example, are "Marc" and "Justin" subjects or objects? They're objects. They received the action. They were offered the bandana. Also, they follow the preposition "to" and are the object of the preposition. Therefore, we have to replace "Justin" with an object pronoun. Because I'm Justin, this would be my sentence: Hulk Hogan offered a red bandana to Marc and me. Many people think "Marc and I" would be the correct phrase for that sentence. However, that would be a pronoun case error. Remember, "I" can only be used as a subject and "me" can only be used as an object. If you were writing the previous example sentence about me, you would write: Hulk Hogan offered a red bandana to Marc and him. Because you are replacing an object with a pronoun, you have to use an object pronoun. The ACT tends to use compound subjects or objects in questions that test pronoun case because the correct answer often sounds wrong to us. So is there a strategy that enables us to more easily identify pronoun case errors in sentences with compound subjects or objects? Absolutely!! He didn't really offer me his red bandana. ACT EnglishStrategy If you see a compound subject/object, cross out the other noun and "and." For compound objects, the sentence should still be grammatically correct. Let's try this strategy with the previous example: Hulk Hogan offered a red bandana to Marc and me. This sentence probably sounds less awkward to you. Most likely, you would be able to identify a pronoun case error if you saw a sentence that read, "Hulk Hogan offered a red bandana to I." If you do the same thing with a compound subject, the sentence will be grammatically correct if you also change the verb from plural to singular, due to subject-verb agreement. Keep in mind that the singular and plural forms of a verb can be the same. Now we'll use the cross-out method with a compound subject to help determine if there's a pronoun case error. Here's our example sentence: Him and Joe were talking to the cashier. After crossing out the noun and "and," we're left with "Him were talking to the cashier." Once we change the verb to singular, this is our sentence: Him was talking to the cashier. At this point, you can probably figure out if there's an error, but let's follow the rules. In the sentence, is "Him" a subject or an object? It's a subject because he was doing the action. Therefore, we must use a subject pronoun. After plugging a subject pronoun into the original sentence, this would be the correct version of the example: He and Joe were talking to the cashier. Now we'll apply what we've learned to a question from an actual ACT. Real ACT English Example So how do we determine if there is a pronoun case error? First, let's employ our strategy and cross out "and her cousin." We're left with "her had staged." Does that look right to you? Now, let's determine if "her" is a subject or object. Well, "her" should be a subject because she's doing the action. She had done the staging. Then, after we plug the rest of the compound subject back into the phrase with a subject pronoun, we have "she and her cousin had staged." The correct answer is C. Who Vs. Whom Occasionally, the ACT will also test you on whether to use "who" or "whom" in a sentence. These words are known as relative pronouns. Most people have no idea when and how to properly use "who" and "whom." Luckily, the rule is pretty simple. The word "who" is a subject pronoun and "whom" is an object pronoun. Here's a strategy to make life easier when answering questions involving "who" or "whom." ACT EnglishStrategy For pronoun case purposes, "who" and "whom" function like "she" and "her" (or "he" and "him"). The word "who" is a subject pronoun and "whom" is an object pronoun. To determine if there's a pronoun case error, replace "who" with "she" and "whom" with "her". If the antecedent is plural, replace "who" with "they" and "whom" with "them". If there's not a pronoun case error in the original sentence, the resulting phrase should be grammatically correct. Take a look at this sentence: Justin, who is too self-absorbed, always references himself in his example sentences. The sentence is saying that Justin is too self-absorbed and "who" modifies Justin. Justin is being described as self-absorbed. If we replace "who" with "he," the phrase would read, "He is too self-absorbed." The word "he" is being properly used as a subject. Therefore, there is not a pronoun case error and "who" is being used correctly. Here's another example: My mother, whom I admire, graduated from nursing school. In the above sentence, the clause with "whom" is stating that "I adore my mother." Because "whom" is modifying "my mother," let's replace "my mother" with "her." The resulting sentence should be grammatically correct if "whom" is being used correctly. After replacing "my mother" with the pronoun, we have, "I admire her." That's correct because the word "her" is an object pronoun and "her" is receiving the action in the sentence. Here's one final example using "whom" as an object of the preposition: To whom much is given, much is expected. Here, the sentence is saying that much is given to whom.If you replace "whom" with "her," â€Å"much is given to her† is grammatically correct. If the relative pronoun follows â€Å"to† or â€Å"for," you should always use â€Å"whom." Truth Now we can take what we've learned and apply those lessons to actual examples from the ACT. Real ACT English Example This is a real example from an ACT English section. Use our strategy and your knowledge of pronoun case to answer the following question: So here we have the phrase â€Å"friends whom have died." The â€Å"whom† refers to â€Å"friends," which is plural, and â€Å"whom† is an object pronoun. Therefore, let’s replace â€Å"friends whom† with â€Å"them† to determine if the sentence is grammatically correct. â€Å"Them had died† is incorrect; the pronoun should be in the subject form. â€Å"They had died† is correct. They did the dying. Therefore, we need to use the subject form of the relative pronoun. The answer is B, â€Å"friends who had died." Let's take a look at another example: In this sentence, â€Å"whom† refers to â€Å"Banneker’s grandmother† and the verb is â€Å"bought." This sentence is made a little more tricky because the prepositional phrase starting with â€Å"after† separates â€Å"whom† from â€Å"bought." However, this sentence is saying that she (Banneker’s grandmother) bought some land. However, â€Å"whom† is in the object case which is equivalent to â€Å"her." â€Å"Her bought some land† is obviously incorrect. The relative pronoun should be changed to the subject case. The answer is B. General ACT English Strategies For Pronoun Case #1: If a Pronoun is Underlined, Check for an Error in Pronoun Case If you see that a pronoun is underlined, check to see if there is a pronoun case error. #2: Determine if the Pronoun Is Being Used as a Subject or Object If the pronoun is doing the action or being described, it's a subject. If the pronoun is receiving the action, it's an object. Use subject pronouns for subjects and object pronouns for objects. Also, use the replacement strategy, if necessary, to help determine if a noun is a subject or object. #3: The Same Rules Apply for Compound Subjects or Objects If you see a compound subject or object, the sentence should be grammatically correct if you get rid of one of the nouns and "and." Change "Peter and I went to a baseball game" to "I went to a baseball game." The sentence is still correct, so if you see a compound subject or object on the ACT, use the cross out strategy to help determine if there is a pronoun case error. For compound subjects, also make sure that you change the verb from plural to singular. #4: If a Pronoun Follows a Preposition, It is an Object Pronoun Pronouns that follow prepositions, specifically "to," "for," or "between," should be in the object case. #5: Use the Replacement Strategy for Who Vs. Whom If you're trying to determine whether "who" or "whom" should be used, replace "who" with "he" or "she" for singular antecedents and "who" with "they" for plural antecedents. The word "whom" should be replaced with "him" or "her" for singular antecedents and "them" for plural antecedents. Finish strong! Additional ACT English Practice Question Hopefully, by this point you thoroughly understand pronoun case and how to correctly answer any pronoun case question that may appear on the ACT. I've created some realistic practice problems to test you on what you've learned. Remember to use the general strategies I referenced above. 1. After I woke up yesterday, my parents decided to take my brother and me to breakfast. A. NO CHANGE B. I C. we D. their 2. Despite her friends’ objections, her and George decided to go to Las Vegas to elope. A. NO CHANGE B. her C. she D. or her 3. Christopher Hitchens, whom was a prolific writer, ruffled a few feathers during his public debates and television appearances. A. NO CHANGE B. which C. that D. who 4. His boss told him that Jane and him would be given the day off tomorrow. A. NO CHANGE B. he C. his D. their Answers: 1. A, 2. C, 3. D, 4. B What's Next? Since you're all at various points in your ACT prep, read this article to find out when you should take the ACT. For those of you who are comfortable with ACT English but struggling with Reading, learn these strategies for the ACT Reading section. Read our staggering list of high quality ACT English prep guides here. Finally, for those of you who aspire for perfection, get advice on how to get a perfect 36 on the ACT. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this English lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Religion and Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Religion and Science - Essay Example According to Robinson (2010), the caste system was â€Å"abolished by law in 1949, but remains a significant force among Hindus throughout much of India† (par. 2). The system, then, determines and defines the type of profession a person undertakes. Pharmacy today encounters diverse issues which conflict with religious practices. Some religions do not accept prescriptions for contraceptive bills due to abortion related concerns. In an article written by Lagorio (2004, pars. 4 & 5), â€Å"across the country, more and more pharmacists are refusing to fill prescriptions for religious reasons. South Dakota, Arkansas and Mississippi even have refusal clauses on the books. And 13 other states are considering mixing medicine with morality†. The role of pharmacists in current society is critical in ensuring that patients are duly educated on the medications they take. Pharmacists are â€Å"responsible for ordering and dispensing drugs and medications, and advising both patients and doctors about possible drug interactions.   They also consult with patients to make sure that patients understand how to use their prescription drugs as well as which side effects might occur as a result of these medications† (QandAs, n.d., par. 2). As such, they should be objective but respectful of the cultural and religious orientation of the patients they serve. For people who are not covered by prescription insurance plans, the most that pharmacists can do is to determine from among the list of generic medicines which is available at the minimum cost without sacrificing efficacy of the medications. For pharmacists who are faced with the dilemma of balancing religion and science, the advice of Liz Ryan is simply to find another job, if possible. From her article, she averred that â€Å"the issue with pharmacists is trickier, involving, as it does, the uncomfortable implication that the religious beliefs of one group should somehow trump the legal

Applying Theory to Practice Problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Applying Theory to Practice Problem - Essay Example The Neuman model perceived clients as being in a state of dynamic equilibrium with the environment. The environment is also considered a perceptual field that surrounds each person. Neumann has focused on the stress factors and the reaction of each person to the condition that brings about the stress. She brought forth the conviction that stress factors comprise the environment. She further argues that the disequilibrium in the body system that is caused the stress is a tension. This tension acts as the stimuli, which has the potential of causing the illness to the individual that is suffering from the stress. The environment is subdivided into two components that include the internal and external factors. The internal factors comprise of the forces that occur within an individual or intrapersonal stress factor. In our case, the example is smoking which the patient is involved in after being discharged. The external environment consists of interpersonal stress factors that result from interaction with other individuals. This is in terms of changes in the roles that can bring about stress to an individual. The physiological issues in patient perspective involve things like the ability to see, hear and have mobility. There are other things like the ability to breath, sleeping, feeling, eating, speaking and the vital signs. This variable focuses on the physiological wellbeing of the patient. The psychological variables involve the non-verbal behavior, attitudes, coping pattern and response to stress. These things focus on the psychological status of the patient. Therefore, by ensuring that the patient psychological status is appropriate one wil be able to facilitate the things that ensure the well-being of the patient is considered. There are various expectations in this variable that are recognized through evaluation of the patient’s behaviors and the way the patient handles stress. The social variable reflects much on the individual’s values

Buying Decisions of the Parents Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words

Buying Decisions of the Parents - Essay Example Older children exerted greater influence on their parents; a child’s gender was not a significant factor that influenced their parents’ buying decisions.  Researchers have suggested that, the â€Å"family as a consuming and decision making unit is a central phenomenon in marketing and consumer behavior† (Commuri& Gentry, 2000, p. 1). Since the late 1960’s, marketing managers have identifiedthe central role of the family in decision making and consumption of products (Assael, 1998);family units havebeen at the center of interest of marketers and academics in the line of marketing (Moore, Wilkie, & Lutz, 2002; Shoham&Dalakas, 2005).Joint decisions by the consumer and family members work toward influencing or modifying the desire and disposition of the other family member toward a certain consumer good (Foxall, 1977). A family unit had an intermediating function,and also was the point of integration of an individual within the precincts of a large r society. Being the primary consumption unit, the family was also the primary target for all the available products and their categories (Schiffman&Kanuk, 1983). The family unit might be defined as a group of people residing together who might be related by marriage, blood, or adoption (Loudon & Della Bitta, 1993). A nuclear type of family would consist of a husband, a wife, and their children. An extended family included the nuclear family members and other relatives. During the course of a single day there will be multiple decisions made by family members (nuclear or extended), and in a majority of the cases the wife or the husband will be the prevailing decision maker within the family. Commuri&Gentry Many researchers had focused their studies â€Å"on family consumer behavior and a majority of the literature has been on decision role — who makes what decisions† (Commuri&Gentry, 2000, pp. 8). Other researchessuggeststhat the influence of the wife and the h usband would most likely change according to the (a) product types being considered for consumption, (b) the step reached in the process of decision making,(c) purchase influence type, and (d) the basic characteristics of the particular family that was making the decision (Assael21998).  According to other research, the type of product under consideration was divided into four main categories (see Figure 1). These were: Product types for which the husband had the major influence (Mowen, 1995). Product types for which the wife had the dominant influencing factor (Mowen, 1995). Product types for which the decisions can be taken by either the wife or the husband and for which either spouse can be the dominant factor, called the automaticdecision type (Assael,21998). Product types where the husband and wife go in for a joint decision,called the syncretic decision type (Assael,21998). Figure 1. The family decision making proces. Adapted from Consumer behavior and marketing acti on(p. 462), by H. Assael, 1998, Cincinnati, OH:

Leadership Styles Research Methodology

Leadership Styles Research Methodology CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This chapter primarily outlines the overall research methodology. Detailed development of hypotheses, sampling procedure used for this survey and sources of data will be described. Method that was used to collect data to run statistical analysis will be discussed further in this chapter. Hypotheses of Study The variables identified for this research are leadership style, leadership behavior and employees job satisfaction. Hypotheses below are proposed for this study: H1a: Transformational leadership has a significant influence on employees job satisfaction. H1b: Transactional leadership has a significant influence on employees job satisfaction. H2a: Supportive leadership has a significant influence on employees job satisfaction. H2b: Directive leadership has a significant influence on employees job satisfaction. H2c: Participative leadership has a significant influence on employees job satisfaction. Research Framework The association among all the proposed variables can be described in a research framework. Figure 3-1 illustrates the research model. Figure 3-1: The proposed research framework for influences of leadership on employees job satisfaction Leadership Style Transformational Leadership H1a Transactional Leadership H1b Job Satisfaction Leadership Behavior H2a H2b Supportive Leadership H2c Directive Leadership Participative Leadership Measures of construct in the Questionnaire The survey questionnaire used in this research consists of four parts. Part A consists of the measurement items for leadership style which is further divided to two sections, transformational and transactional leadership. Part B of the questionnaire consists of the measurement items for leadership behavior and three subsections that is participative, supportive and directive leadership. In Part C, the section measures on employees job satisfaction. Finally in Part D, the respondents demographic data is collected on their age, gender, education level, marital status, job position, and number of years of experience in the organization, years of establishment of respective organization, number of employees in organization and nature of the organization. The literature review has helped to provide a number of measurement items for leadership style, leadership behaviour and job satisfaction in the questionnaire. Survey respondents were asked to state their level of agreement for all the six constructs discussed previously. The survey questionnaire has adopted the five-point Likert scale which ranges from 1(strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) as indicated in Table 3-1. Table 3-1: Instrument used in the questionnaire Strongly disagree 1 Disagree 2 Neither agree nor disagree 3 Agree 4 Strongly agree 5 The measurement items used to operationalize the constructs for the purpose of this study were adapted from relevant previous literature with necessary changes. A summary of the past research measures that is used in this study is indicated in Table 3-2. Table 3-2: Research variables and measurement Construct Source Job Satisfaction Milliman, Czaplewski and Ferguson (2003) Transformational Gadot (2006) Transactional Gadot (2006) Supportive Lee and Kamarul (2008) Directive Lee and Kamarul (2008) Participative Lee and Kamarul (2008) Job Satisfaction The items for job satisfaction were adopted from Milliman, Czaplewski and Ferguson (2003). The questionnaire used four items to access respondents satisfaction on their job. Table 3-3 shows the list of questions used for job satisfaction. Table 3-3: Job Satisfaction Diagnostic Survey Instruments How satisfied are you with your job currently? How satisfied are you with the overall chances of advancement in your organization? How satisfied are you with the career opportunities offered in your organization? How satisfied are you with the nature of the work in your organization? Source: Milliman, Czaplewski and Ferguson (2003), Workplace spirituality and employee work attitudes, An exploratory empirical assessment Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 16 No.4, 2003, pp. 426-447. Leadership style The measurement items for leadership style were adapted from the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ). This measure was first introduced by Bass (1985) and then was further improved by Bass and Avolio (1993). It is used to gauge two leadership style scales, namely transformational and transactional. Respondents were asked on which particular leadership style their supervisor closely relates to. MLQ has been widely adapted by past researchers in examining the leadership styles. Table 3-4: Leadership Style Items Transformational Leadership My supervisor instills pride because of their association with the subordinates. My supervisor has gained trust in myself to avoid any obstacles. My supervisor inspires myself to be like him or her. My supervisor goes beyond his individual interest and focuses on the interest of his or her subordinates. My supervisor talks enthusiastically about what needs to be accomplished. My supervisor sets realistic vision and guides on achieving them. My supervisor is a symbol of success and accomplishment. My supervisor constantly views the future optimistically. My supervisor constantly suggests new ways to accomplish things. My supervisor always introduces new challenges and new assignments. My supervisor encourages to think in new ways to solve problems. My supervisor encourages to think creatively and innovatively to solve problems. My supervisor constantly provides coaching to improve my productivity. My supervisor always listens to my concern and helps me to improve. My supervisor always updates me with my performance and does the necessary to develop me. My supervisor treats each individual uniquely and attempts to satisfy subordinates current needs. Transactional Leadership My supervisor rewards performance when his or her expectations are fulfilled. My supervisor always sets the right expectation with me on what is offered when performance goals are met. Prior to any tasks, my supervisor states clear on the performance objectives, clarify rewards, and punishment when the correct output is received. My supervisor considers their relationship with subordinates as a series of contract, deals, or service and reward tradeoffs. My supervisor sets his focus on irregularities, mistakes, exceptions and deviations from standards. My supervisor keeps track on all the error, mistakes and wrong doing by the subordinates. My supervisor urges the subordinates to perform functions strictly according to positions requirement and nothing more. My supervisor is stringent about the rules and regulation of the organization and will take the necessary action if one were to not adhere. My supervisor does not interfere until the problem becomes serious. My supervisor always fire fights when taking corrective measures. My supervisor will only step in once the problems are chronic. My supervisor will not fix a problem until it is broken. Source: Gadot (2006), Leadership style, organizational politics, and employees performance, An empirical examination of two competing models, Personal Review Vol. 36 No. 5, 2007 pp. 661-683. Leadership Behavior In this research, a 13-item was adopted from Lee and Kamarul, (2008). It is used to measure three dimensions of leadership behavior, namely supportive, directive and participative behavior. Same as discussed above, survey respondents are requested to rate how closely his or her supervisor relate to the statements provided in the questionnaire. Likert scales was adopted for the respondents to rate the measurement items with (1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree). There are four items used for supportive leadership, four items used for directive leadership behavior and five items used for participative leadership. Table 3-5 shows the questions adopted for leadership behavior. Table 3-5: Leadership Behavior Items Supportive Leadership My supervisor rewards performance when his or her expectations are fulfilled. Supervisor cares for the subordinates welfare. Supervisor does very little to make things pleasant. Supervisor treats all group members as equal. Directive Leadership Supervisor gives clear guidance and explains on how a work needs to be done. Supervisor decides what and how things should be done. Supervisor maintains definite standards of performance. Supervisor follows a schedule to get work accomplished. Participative Leadership Prior to making any decisions, supervisor considers the subordinates thoughts and what they have to say. Prior to making any decisions, supervisor consults with the subordinates. When a problem arises, supervisor consults with the subordinates. Supervisor asks subordinates for their suggestions and feedback. Supervisor listens to subordinates advice on which assignments should be made/taken. Source: Lee and Kamarul (2008), The moderating effects of organizational culture on the relationships between leadership behavior and organizational commitment and between organizational commitment and job satisfaction and performance, Leadership and Organization Development Journal Vol.30 No.1, 2009 pp.53-86. Sampling and population The goal of this study is to understand the relationship between leadership style and behavior on employees job satisfaction in the context of IT industries in Klang Valley and Selangor, the first step was to note down all the listed IT companies in Selangor and Klang Valley. This information was obtained through observation and information provided through colleagues and friends. The population of this research is all individuals who are employees, managers, stakeholders in IT companies in Klang Valley and Selangor. Convenience sampling was used for the purpose of this study. This is due to time constraint, quick responses and it is inexpensive compared to alternate sampling procedures. 3.6 Sources of Data Two methods were used to collect the data, namely primary and secondary data. Primary data for this survey was obtained by means of a survey questionnaire. Quantitative approach was used in the survey questionnaire to be able to measure the relationship between the variables that helps in statistical analysis. Secondary data collection was used to gather information through findings by past researchers using the qualitative approach. Journal sources from Emerald, Proquest, Science Direct related to this topic was studied to get an understanding on the variables. Besides, online journal sources, books related to this topic provides exploratory information that is used for this research. 3.7 Data Collection From the secondary data resources, a set of predetermined questions were created.. Three methods were used to collect data which is personally administered questionnaire, questionnaires attached with emails and online survey questionnaire. 3.7.1 Personally Administered Questionnaire Personally administered questionnaires were sent to all employees and colleagues that are attached with IT Companies in the Klang Valley and Selangor. This method ensured to receive back all the number of questionnaire sent within a short period of time. The advantage of this method is that it avoided any unusable surveys as if the respondents had any questions they were able to get the answers immediately. Personally administered questionnaire is where most of the survey responses were obtained for this research. A sample of personally administered questionnaire is attached in the Appendix. Questionnaires Attached with Emails The availability of internet has helped to send and receive data with a very minimal cost and quicker time span. Questionnaires attached to emails were sent to those who were not easily accessible geographically to pass the questionnaire. Questionnaires are mailed to the target respondents by providing an introduction on the objective of the research and clear guidelines on how to fill the survey and respond back. Although reminders were sent to respondents to increase the survey response, the questionnaires attached to emails received through this method was only 13 (6.5%) out of the overall survey responses. The disadvantage of mail questionnaires attached to emails is, one may not have the time to do the survey immediately at the point that they receive it and have the tendency to forget to response once it is being left for some time in their mailbox. 3.7.3 Online questionnaire An online questionnaire was first used to obtain data for this study. The www.surveyshare.com site was used to create the online questionnaire. The web based tool had the advantage of exporting the survey responses to Microsoft Excel format which is useful for inputting the responses in a structured manner. The automation of data exportation has helped data collection quickly. It is also cheaper to use the online tool as no paper and printing cost is involved. Data can be analysed as and when survey response is received since it automatically provides a summary and overview of all the survey responses received to date. Statistical Procedures The statistical software SPSS version 16 was used to analyse all the data obtained from the survey. Frequencies, means, percentage, reliability test (Cronbach coefficient) and multiple regressions were computed using the tool. To analyse the demographic details of the survey respondents, descriptive statistics which includes frequencies and percentages were done. To meet the research objective, multiple regressions were applied to study the significance between the variables as outlined in the research framework. Reliability Test of the Survey Instrument Table 3-5 presents the reliability measures for the 6 constructs discussed previously. The Cronbachs alpha value was determined from a pilot test with a sample of 30 respondents. The intention of the pilot test is to understand the ease of respondents answering the survey questions. At the same time, the reliability of the survey instrument is determined. The Cronbachs alpha value for job satisfaction, transformational leadership, transactional leadership, participative leadership and directive leadership exceeded 0.70. As for supportive leadership the Cronbachs alpha value is 0.637. Therefore, one of the items for measuring supportive leadership was removed to raise the Cronbachs alpha value to 0.788. Table 3-6: Cronbachs alpha value for six construct from pilot study. Construct Alpha No. of items Job Satisfaction 0.806 4 Transformational leadership 0.918 16 Transactional leadership 0.871 12 Participative leadership 0.915 5 Supportive leadership 0.637 4 Directive leadership 0.824 4

Luxury Goods and Jewellery in India Essay

The VERTU originally started in 1998 in Great Britain, now wholly owned subsidiary of Finnish company Nokia. The same year founder and Chief Designer, Italian Frank Nouvo began putting his ideas for Vertu on paper and the board of Nokia gave the project a green light. Frank Nuovo was a design strategist at Nokia from 1995 to 2006, when he left to become Vertu’s lead designer full time. Also in 1998 the company made it a company principle of hand making their products with â€Å"exotic, rare and naturally durable materials†. In 1999, their characteristic V form was established, and it is still highly visible across the Vertu product portfolio. In 2000 Vertu began taking shape as a company, locating their headquarters in England, and started an extensive Research and Development- project and decided on some of the parts that would go into the phones as well as some design decisions, such as the use of sapphire crystals as a design-tweak. Three years in to operations, Vertu was granted the Vertu Concierge Service as a patent and this is still one of Vertu’s edges in the luxury cell phones market. Vertu launched what they themselves call the â€Å"†¦first ever luxury mobile phone† near the Eiffel tower in Paris in 2002, the Vertu Signature. With the first phones now available on the newly created market for luxury phones, Vertu also had the opportunity to offer one of their customers help through the concierge service, with a flight from London to New York. In 2005 10. 000 concierge requests was made according to Vertu, a figure that is, and should be (due to their customers privacy), hard to confirm. In 2003 they open their 50th retail location. By 2010, Vertu had more than 90 own boutiques and was sold in over 600 locations in almost 70 countries, worldwide, according to Nokia`s financial statement for 2010. In 2007 Vertu went on a joint venture with Ferrari, creating an special edition phone marking the car company’s 60th anniversary. CONCEPT AND UNIQUENESS The concept of Vertu is to appeal to high-end customers who look for something unique in their mobile phones. Through meeting target customers standards about design, materials, price and brand Vertu has created a market for luxury mobile phones. The additional services, such as the Vertu Concierge give customers an elevated experience. â€Å"Vertu aims to enhance and enrich customers’ lives through the services and products we offer. This enrichment will now further extend to the experience in our stores with a focused, tailored approach to customer interaction. † by Perry Oosting, President of Vertu BUSINESS STRATEGY Nokia’s first idea was to create a phone that was completely contrary to the company’s mass phone distribution and enter the luxury market by creating the subsidiary company Vertu. In order to keep the luxury image and status of Vertu, the phone was not associated with Nokia’s mass mobile phones. During the recession in 2009, the CEO Perry Oosting, announced that Vertu was launching cheaper phones and accessories as a tool to keep up the market shares and survive the recession. Late 2011, the new CEO of Nokia, presented the new strategy; to use a new operating system from Microsoft for their smartphones. This resulted in a giant downfall in market shares. As mentioned above, Vertu’s flagship stores are located at the most exclusive shopping districts, amongst other Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, in order to be associated with the same luxury atmosphere as the neighboring brands. Vertu also put a huge emphasis on the store layout, everything from special glass for the display cases, to the floor and lightening. For the ultimate luxury experience, they also provide high personal service with top skills. For the exclusiveness and status of the luxury phone, it was chosen to be launched in connection with fashion shows at Paris fashion week and was thereby becoming to be viewed as a fashion brand instead of a technology brand. This was a strategic move to strengthen the image if the brand. Vertu chose to launch their products in the BRIC countries, which consists of some of the most emerging markets in the world today. Additionally, the Middle East and Japan are also two extremely important markets for Vertu, partly due to the strong technology awareness in these areas. The sales in these countries are larger than in the western countries and the luxury company is exploiting the new wealth of the generations with high luxury awareness and taste. In order to gain greater market share in the British and Hong-Kong market, Vertu has numerous joint ventures and partnerships with jewelry stores, such as King Fook Jewelry in Hong-Kong and Goldsmiths in Harrods, London. â€Å"We understand communications technology. We believe now that we understand the luxury industry. It will take something for competition to match that. † – Nigel Litchfield, former president of Vertu, 2002 MARKETING MIX Product: Vertu sells hand-made luxury phones made from fine materials like gold, platinum and sapphire. Along with every purchase the buyer receives superior service and is entitled to free ‘concierge’ service which assists users with exclusive services like restaurant and hotel reservations, priority bookings, and a global recommendation network. Price: Vertu prices range from $5,000 to over $300,000. The prices vary with the different collections and the materials that are used in them. Place: Vertu phones are selectively distributed. They are available at company-owned boutiques and at other various company-selected luxury stores like London Jewelers, Goldsmiths, Tourneau and Colette. Vertu locates its stores in luxury shopping districts of large metropolitan areas and opens relatively few stores. The stores are small, intimate and have a luxury feel more like that of a jewelry store than a cell phone store. All sale locations can be found on vertu. com. Promotion: Vertu acquires much publicity from sales to celebrities like David Beckham, Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow. As well Vertu has collaborated with big brands before like Ferrari, Boucheron and Audemars Piguet. Vertu releases different collections at different times and will only make a certain number of phones in order to keep a prestigious image and attract buyers. Vertu has a website for publicity which features product descriptions and photos of celebrities who own Vertu phones. POSITIONING. Vertu was a pioneer in the luxury cell phone market and has positioned itself as the top-of-the-line targeting high-net-worth individuals. Vertu accomplishes this by using only the finest materials to manufacture their products which are all handcrafted ensuring that every product is of perfect quality. Vertu will release different collections each featuring different materials and designs which make the collections unique and prestigious; their most expensive line ever was the Signature Cobra designed by Boucheron, only eight were made and they cost $310,000 each. Vertu will often collaborate with other luxury brands, like Boucheron, Audemars Piguet and Ferrari, to extend their success and name in the luxury product world. Vertu offers superior and personalized service to its clients, including a free concierge service anywhere in the world, guaranteeing customer satisfaction and loyalty. They also position themselves by showcasing the celebrities who own their products as an indication that their products are for the rich and famous. Vertu has locations all over the world in 70 countries however they open relatively few boutiques solely in luxury shopping districts of large cities and thus are considered selectively distributed. Vertu boutiques are decadent, small, intimate venues which offer personalized service to clients wishing to make a purchase; the other stores licensed to sell Vertu products are also luxury stores like Tourneau Watches and London Jewelers in the United States, Bandiera Jewelers in Canada, Colette in Paris and Ernest Jones in London. Vertu very successfully maintains a prestigious image with its ultra-luxurious products and superior service through its positioning. VERTU SERVICES VERTU brand offers services that are unique, independent and carefully customized to the particular needs and desires of their customers. All services are integrated into gadget. VERTU CONCIERGE Vertu Concierge is added directly to the customer`s handset, offering luxury assistance and enrichment. The service is offered by voice call or email, and access through a dedicated key on the cell. At the moment of VERTU phone registration and activation of VERTU Concierge service, initial â€Å"fitting† call is proposed. It can be done immediately at purchase time or later up to client`s choice. The â€Å"fitting† call gives an opportunity to have full explanation of services offered by Concierge, as well as client can express her/his needs and desires which will be matched to this service. This includes the establishment of personal preferences, the range of the service they would wish and significantly, the sort of contact they wish to receive from Vertu. The Vertu Concierge Classic service offers the client with 24/7 access to a team of lifestyle managers, situated within a network of global centers covering all the main time zones including London, Dubai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and San Francisco. Vertu Concierge also has managers on the ground in major destinations in order to create close relationships with specialist suppliers of goods and services specifically for Vertu clients. Many customers choose to use Vertu Concierge for their travel and lodging requirements as Vertu has protected exclusive opportunities for its clients. Vertu Concierge can contact the widest network of hotels, restaurants and airlines, and can as a result meet the exact preferences and expectations of their customers. Vertu Concierge clients may also ask for support with purchases ranging from small luxury items to accompaniments to their property range. Vertu Concierge is available in English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Arabic, Japanese, Mandarin and Cantonese. Vertu Classic Concierge is included free of charge for one year from the date of purchase of a Vertu handset. VERTU CITY BRIEF. Vertu City Brief is a global digest of information covering more than 200 cities and destinations worldwide. Launched in September 2009, it is now one of Vertu’s most utilized services. Independently written for Vertu by experts in their respective fields, Vertu City Brief is available on Vertu handsets in English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Arabic, Japanese and Simplified Chinese. Refreshed and updated on a regular basis, Vertu City Brief allows the user to hit the ground running on arrival in an unfamiliar territory or to explore new or exciting opportunities in their home town. If the customer does not see anything which exactly meets their requirements, Vertu City Brief is the perfect inspiration to begin a conversation with a Vertu Concierge Lifestyle Manager. VERTU SELECT Vertu Select delivers original articles selected to inspire, inform and entertain based on a user’s region, preferences and passions. Written by carefully selected global journalists, experts and organizations, the articles appear via the handsets RSS feed once a customer has registered their phone. Vertu Select is available in English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Arabic, Japanese and Simplified Chinese. VERTU. ME Introduced with the launch of Constellation Quest in October 2010, vertu. me is a service that provides the user with a Vertu email account and effortless harmonization of the device’s lifestyle and business tools. Should the customer choose, the user’s emails, contacts, calendar and task information can be automatically synchronized with Vertu’s secure servers, giving the benefit of protected back up of their data. Vertu offers the consumer complete peace of mind. Should the handset be lost, this data can be retrieved and seamlessly downloaded to a replacement phone. The system also ensures that whenever the vertu. me account is accessed, whether from the phone, a home or office computer (PC and Mac) or via the web, this information is up to date. TARGET CONSUMER The Vertu mobile is a highly luxurious product, which doubtlessly is made to fit the extremely wealthy population of this world. The main customers are rich and found in the urban areas, who are constantly searching for the extraordinary products. Furthermore, their flagship- and department stores are situated in the finest areas, in order to attract the highly rich international shoppers. â€Å"These are people who buy the best quality watches, the best quality fashion devices† – Nigel Litchfield, former president of Vertu The special features and services of the phone such as the â€Å"Vertu Concierge†, attracts customers who are constantly traveling worldwide – jet setters. The Vertu mobile was the first phone which was able function in over 180 different countries. This fact covered many needs and made it rapidly attractive for people who were constantly traveling such as celebrities and high ranked business people. In fact, Madonna, Beckham and Gwyneth Patrol were some of Vertu’s first users when it was launched. CONSUMER-BASED BRAND EQUITY PYRAMID Brand Salience For Vertu achieving right brand identity involves brand salience. People generally are not still aware of VERTU because it is relatively â€Å"young† brand and promotion is quite narrow. However their target consumer for sure can recall and recognize this brand. So conclusion here is that Brand salience is more depth than breadth. This basically means that even thou there are not yet many people knowing VERTU, but those who do , they know all insights of it, can easily recall it and understands what this brand is about. Brand Performance The product itself is at the heart of brand equity, as it is the primary influence of what consumers experience with a brand, what they hear about the brand from others, and what the brand can tell customers about the brand in their communication. Brand Performance relates to the ways in which the product or service attempts to meet customers` functional needs. This is on top level for VERTU brand. It is crucial to contribute to customers` desires, wants and needs. Vertu brand highly represents all what their HNWI customers want to have for paying a high price. The product is highly durable; it has distinctive logo, premium pricing and advanced technology in gadgets. Unique services provided for customers by VERTY also attributes to brand`s performance. Brand Imagery Another variable CBBE Pyramid is second type of brand meaning which involves brand imagery. Imagery deals with such a properties of a product, which meets customers` psychological needs. It is more about what people think of it, how they see it. VERTU`s imagery is extremely individualistic and stylish. When customer is buying VERTU cell he/she buys a beauty of it as well. As of VERTU`s customer has a strong judgment of a brand as high quality luxury product. Credibility is high and customer see VERTU as superior, advantageous brand. Brand Judgments Brand judgments focus upon customers` personal opinions and evaluation with regard to brand. This involves how consumer put together all from performance and imagery association to make kind of an evaluation. VERTU`s clients evaluate this brand as a high quality luxury brand. Brand Feelings This variable shows emotional response with respect to VERTU brand. It shows what feelings are evoked by the marketing strategy for the VERTU and how does it affect feelings about themselves and relationships with others. Customer of VERU is for sure status-conscious person. Customers of VERTU have a unique and warmth feeling about the brand. It can be exciting due to special relationship of beauty and technology in brand`s products. Customer feels it is trendy and relates to special status and therefore social approval. Customer feels high security within this brand due to all advantages provided. As VERTU makes consumer feel better self-respect, pride, fulfillment and accomplishment also occurs. Brand Resonance Final variable of pyramid shows brand relationships with a customer based on Salience, Performance, Imagery, Judgments and Feelings. As for VERTU even if general awareness is low the behavioral loyalty is very high, customer want to get back to this brand, consequently repeat purchase is possible. Brand loyalty is necessary but not sufficient for resonance to occur. Within VERTU brand customer is not returning to this brand again due to, for example, scarce of substitutes. VERTU attained their main goal- strong personal attachment to brand. It goes beyond of having just a positive attitude to view brand. Another important part of Resonance is active engagement. This probably is the strongest affirmation of brand loyalty. It occurs when client is willing to invest time, energy, money in to the brand. Constantly customers of VERTU are invited to special social events created by VERTU worldwide, and they are participating. Therefore VERTU has a very strong relationship with its customer. SWOT ANALISYS FOR VETRU STRENGHT * Masterpiece of design, engineering, and craftsmanship. * Was truly innovative pioneering brand * Strong reputation (Products have established strong reputation in their field) * Global expansion (Includes significant growth over last 10 years) * Customer service * Control of Quality(As produced just in one factory in England) * London Symphony Orchestra is creating ringtones exclusively for each model of Vertu WEAKNESSES * Extremely high production price (which leads to high product price) * Limited access as distribution is exclusive and limited (Missing opportunities for new customers) * Not able to buy online (More customers now go online). * Not enough technical innovation again (Many customers claim that gadgets are beautiful but not really practical) OPPORTUNITIES * E-business (launch â€Å"buy option† online) * Emerging markets * Mix VERTU styling with Nokia (in order to increase awareness ) * Change of consumer lifestyle (growing demand from young and senior people) THREATS * Increasing Quality of Competing Products and Number of those * Importance of counterfeiting (Chinese counterfeiting factories already picked up the idea) * Newer forms of luxury and innovation are constantly changing COMPETITORS. GOLDVISH Brand established in Geneve, Switzerland in 2003. Very Haut-Couture style but extremely not practical. Cells are difficult to buy, narrow distribution channel. View itself as a pioneering brand of luxury cell phone on official website which is obvious lie. The pioneering brand was VERTU. Only 3 lines of phones are developed since 2003. The most expensive gadget is â€Å"Le Millionaire† and it costs $1,000 000. MOBIADO Canadian-based manufacturer of luxury phones with modern minimalistic design launched in 2004. It has 3 main lines –Classic, Professional and Grand Line. Mobiado actively participates in social events in North America (such as Golden Globes and Couture Fashion Week in NY). The brand is not very popular in Middle East and Europe. Still Distribution channel is not wide enough. Price range is from $1,900 to $57,000 GRESSO Gresso is Russia-based company which started its activity in 2007, so it is the newest competing brand in luxury phones field. Gresso has 5 main lines and they also provide customized phone for their clients. But mostly popular in Russia and Vietnam, Ukraine and one distributor in USA so far, however it is compensated by their option to buy products online. For Gresso products price range is from $3,000 to $42,000. RECOMMENDATIONS Focused and customized segmentation is valuable in this market, so VERTU must continuously concentrate on their customers’ needs and desires. As any luxury company which faces constant global expansion it has to pay attention to counterfeiting problem. For example, Apple Inc. now faced big problem in China where whole Apple stores are opened and being â€Å"fake†. China already produces cheap unqualified cells, abusing the brand VERTU, so losses in long-run might be significant. VERTU must work on effective anti-counterfeiting strategy in order to preserve the â€Å"face† of the brand. During this study we have discovered that general awareness of the brand is still low, therefore VERTU might collaborate with mother-company Nokia in order to produce some kind of mix and make the brand more popular and easily recognized, as for example H&M and Roberto Cavalli collaboration. Vertu is constantly launching Limited Edition lines which are sufficient in this market, because â€Å"best consumer† wants something distinctive and really exclusive, and more important, the customer is ready to pay for that. Partnership with Ferrari, Boucheron and Ermenegildo Zegna increased popularity of the brand considerably. For that reason, we suggest VERTU to collaborate more also with fashion designers, thus gaining also â€Å"fashion† group customers. REFERENCES http://us. vertu. com/world-of-vertu/history/ http://i. nokia. com/blob/view/-/263802/data/1/-/form20-f-10-pdf. pdf http://www. cpp-luxury. com/en/vertu-lanseaza-o-gama-de-produse-mai-ieftina_444. html http://www. google. fr/url? sa=t&rct=j&q=vertu%20mobile%20strategy&source=web&cd=8&ved=0CGQQFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhighered. mcgraw-hill. com%2Fsites%2Fdl%2Ffree%2F007710708x%2F110214%2FGucciLouisVuitton_Vertu_CaseStudy. doc&ei=_GctT_WCE8HM0QWryK2tCA&usg=AFQjCNHW6_wzn1WCQxkM_OJSMTuizfXMcQ&sig2=MWFOk5Qo1sZB17F5_23Eew&cad=rja http://www. businessweek. com/globalbiz/content/dec2007/gb20071221_951028. htm http://www. icmrindia. org/casestudies/catalogue/Marketing/MKTG151. htm https://www. iveycases.com/ ProductView. aspx? id=52373 http://www. wital. net/en/press-events/press/vertu-services-overview/ http://mktg. uni-svishtov. bg/ivm/resources/CustomerBasedbrandEquityModel. pdf http://www. wital. net/en/press-events/press/vertu-retail-concept-2011/ http://www. brandchannel. com/features_profile. asp? pr_id=61 http://www. prschool. ge/img/every_day/Fashion%20Marketing. pdf#page=155 http://www. zdnet. co. uk/news/desktop-hardware/2002/03/22/platinum-luxury-phones-have-no-competition-2107188/ http://www. goldvish. com/ http://mobiado. com/ http://www. gresso. com/ http://vertu.com/ http://www. linkedin. com/company/vertu/statistics. http://vertu. com/en/discover-vertu/history. aspx http://vertu. com/en/help-and-support/contact-vertu/where-to-buy. aspx http://money. cnn. com/popups/2006/biz2/cellphone/4. html http://www. allbusiness. com/retail-trade/apparel-accessory-stores-womens-specialty/4250840-1. html http://www. icmrindia. org/casestudies/catalogue/Marketing/MKTG151. htm http://www. unet. univie. ac. at/~a0025537/php/ABWLs/FK-Marketing/store3/Internet_Exercise_Vertu. pdf http://www. wital. net/en/press-events/press/vertu-retail-concept-2011/.

Life is amazing but not always easy Essay

Happiness, sorrow, victory, defeat, day-night are the two sides of the me . Similarly life is full of moments of joy, pleasure, success and comfort apointed by misery, defeat, failures and problems. There is no human being on Earth, strong, powerful, wise or rich, who has not experienced suffering or failure. Life is beautiful but not always easy, it has problems, too, and the challenge lies in facing them with courage, letting the beauty of life act like a balm, which makes the pain bearable, during trying times, by providing hope Happiness, sorrow, victory, defeat, day-night are the two sides of the me coin. Similarly life is full of moments of joy, pleasure, success and comfort punctuated by misery, defeat, failures and problems. There is no human being on Earth, strong, powerful, wise or rich, who has not experienced, struggle, suffering or failure. No doubt, life is beautiful and every moment – a celebration of being alive, but one should be always ready to face adversity and challenges. A person who has not encountered difficulties in life can never achieve success. Life is beautiful but not always easy, it has problems, too, and the challenge lies in facing them with courage, letting the beauty of life act like a balm, which makes the pain bearable, during trying times, by providing hope Happiness, sorrow, victory, defeat, day-night are the two sides of the me coin. Similarly life is full of moments of joy, pleasure, success and comfort punctuated by misery, defeat, failures and problems. There is no human being on Earth, strong, powerful, wise or rich, who has not experienced, struggle, suffering or failure. No doubt, life is beautiful and every moment – a celebration of being alive, but one should be always ready to face adversity and challenges. A person who has not encountered difficulties in life can never achieve success. Life is beautiful but not always easy, it has problems, too, and the challenge lies in facing them with courage, letting the beauty of life act like a balm, which makes the pain bearable, during trying times, by providing hope

Using Google Analytics To Write Smarter Content

Using Google Analytics To Write Smarter Content Smart content is content that perfectly fits your audience. But who is your audience? Thats the BIG question, isnt it? Smart content is content that perfectly fits your audience. #ContentMarketingNearly every blog post that talks about content marketing starts with Know Your Audience and then tells you why thats important. Only if youre really lucky will they tell you how to figure out who your audience is, or how to write for multiple audiences.  But wouldnt you love it if they said click this button and were going to tell you who your audience is, what they like, and where they live? This is your lucky day. You can write smarter content thats a perfect fit for your audience using Google Analytics and their Audience data. Google Analytics has always been a great source of audience information, but these specific reports are even more helpful. To get started, youll want to log into your Google Analytics account. Find Audience in the left-hand column. Beneath that you can see the different sections and reports available. Clicking on these sections will reveal the sub-sections well be covering in this post. There are four key areas where Google Analytics can tell you specific traits about who is reading your content. #1 Demographics: Age And Gender Google Analytics can give us a good picture of what age and gender  our audience is made of. Using and the data we have as an example,  and see how this plays out. As we dug into our own data recently, we were blown away by the high Pinterest use by our users, and the pattern we saw in the topics of the blog posts in our system. 90% of social shares in came from Pinterest. The most popular topics for users on Pinterest were food and home. Heres what we know about the Pinterest network outside of users. 90% of Pinterest users are women. 52% of Pinterest pins are about food,  18% of pins are about home, 15% are about lifestyle. Does our blog attract a larger female audience or not? It would seem that that might be the case, with 90% of our social shares happening on Pinterest and with 90% of Pinterest users being women, but just because we have a high number of female users of doesnt mean thats who is reading our blog. By looking at the data Google Analytics provides, we can get a better picture. It looks like most of our audience is between the ages of 25-34, and it tips slightly toward more female readers. And that is super useful information, because: We can research to find out what topics that age group prefers. We can see that we are writing for two audiences at once, almost equally male/female. Think of it this way: If you were writing a blog that focused on fun things to do now that you are retired, you should see your readers age skew towards 55+. If you dont, something is wrong. Or, if you do see those ages topping your graph, but you decide to write about the latest technical gadgets and change directions, you will likely see your traffic take an initial hit because youll be shedding your current audience and trying to attract a new one. Knowing the age and gender of your audience helps you create content that is appropriate for them. If you want to take this even further, you can also see traffic spikes and dips on specific dates in the detailed Google Analytics report of age/gender demographics. If you dont publish more than one post a day, you can easily see which posts appealed to specific audiences the most. Youll note that this data isnt for 100% of your total sessions (upper right corner). Well talk about the missing data in a bit. Creating smarter content means knowing the demographics of your audience, and writing to fit them.#2 Interests: Affinity And Market Segment Discovering  what specific topics your audience is interested in reading about is like finding gold. According to Google, the affinity category was built for businesses interested in running a TV ad on a local station, or those currently running a TV ad who would like to extend the reach of a TV campaign to an online context for an efficient price. The In-market segment are those people  who are researching products and actively considering buying a service or product like those you offer. The Other category is for those who arent in either affinity or in-market, but are likely to visit your sites offerings based on interests theyve shown online. Google Analytics is providing this information to help you buy ads, not write content, so when it comes to the interest categories available, they are definitely ad-focused. Even though  you arent using this information to purchase ads, it can still help you see what topics your readers are interested in. For , we currently have readers that are interested in tech, entertainment, and social media. That makes sense; our content seems to be fitting the people who would be interested in our product.  Our content is  attracting the right reader. What is fascinating is the In-Market segment, which tends to resemble the kind of content users are creating. Remember how much of our user base was using Pinterest, and what the typical Pinterest content was? Home, food, and lifestyle!  Our users have distinct interests in the content they are creating, and have created an interest trail online that is reflected here. It helps to know what specific kinds of topics to write about, and to not have to worry that someone outside of your demographics might not like it. While you  dont purposefully want to alienate, you dont have to worry about making everyone happy, either. #3 4 Geography And Mobile The last two that will be useful are geography and mobile demographics. Knowing where your readers are located is helpful, not just because of language, but because it makes you aware of the different cultures you are addressing.  s readership is heavily skewed toward the United States, but we do have readers all around the world. This fits, again, with our user base. Being aware of the different cultures can help you: Know whether or not your holiday-themed posts will make sense to your audience. Avoid content that is a cultural/social faux pas in countries your audience resides. Avoid phraseology or comparisons that would confuse or offend your audience. If you have a younger, technologically skewed audience, youll probably see a similar level of mobile usage that we do. Other audiences may not be using their phones and tablets as much as they use a desktop. Knowing that your audience is skewed heavily towards mobile (as ours is)  reminds you to make sure  that your content is readable on the devices people are using to read it. Responsive web design, crisp graphics, sign-up forms that function in the mobile app–these are all things to keep in mind. At this stage in the game, most users are mobile for most sites. Using  Google Analytics Demographics  For Smarter Content Now that you know this is available, how can you put it to work for your own content? Learn About Demographics Knowing that most of your readers are female and around age 25 wont help you much if you dont know what kind of things interest the average 25-year-old female. There is plenty of research and information online, but you have to know how to find it. Here are a few sites that specialize in demographics: Pew Research Center Market Research Demographic Research As always, data is only as valuable as your ability to interpret it into something usable for you. Create Reader Personas This data that Google Analytics is providing you tells you who is reading your content now. It doesnt mean you cant change your content, but it does give you an idea of what to change it to if you want to keep your current audience. You can use the information Google Provides to  create a kind of reader persona that helps you stay focused on what you write. With a user persona in mind, you can write conversationally as if you were speaking directly to them. You know better what to write when you know who you are writing it for. The Missing Audience Data In Google Analytics Remember that 25% of total sessions issue I pointed out? The data that Google uses to compile these reports isnt the whole picture; it isnt 100% of your total sessions.  Google gathers this data using third-party DoubleClick cookie and device identifiers. That means that when a cookie isnt associated with a specific user, Google cant come up with demographics and interests for you. In other words, the data you have is only partial. Its a subset of your users, and doesnt match your overall traffic that you see elsewhere in Google Analytics.  Additionally, Google doesnt want you to be able to identify specific users, and so some data is removed if that data hits a threshold where an identity might be determined. Still, even with those two gaps in place, you are being given a wonderful amount of specific data about your current audience.  It is a significant tool for guiding you, and you wont find this level of information elsewhere.  Remember, Google Analytics audience reports are  not the end-all method of determining who your audience is, but they are  certainly another tool for your content marketing toolbox. Enable Google Analytics Demographics Before you can use Google Analytics demographics and accessing this information, you will need to enable it in your Google Analytics account. Google provides a step-by-step walk-through to help you do this. You may need to update your analytics tracking code to make demographics work, and adjust your privacy policy as well. Once you have everything in place, you can access data about your site visitors and create content better suited to them. Get This Free Audience Demographics Dashboard To make all of this easier to track in Google Analytics, I created a custom dashboard for us in our Google Analytics account. If youd like to use the same dashboard in your own Google Analytics, you can easily install our custom dashboard here. Each visual widget is linked to the report supplying the data, so its easy to dig into more detail if you want to just by clicking the title of the widget. Our custom Google Analytics audience demographics dashboard makes all of this easy. Feel free to customize this dashboard any way youd like for your own use.

Draft Questionaire- Hr Functions in Indigenious Companies Essays

Draft Questionaire- Hr Functions in Indigenious Companies Essays Draft Questionaire- Hr Functions in Indigenious Companies Essay Draft Questionaire- Hr Functions in Indigenious Companies Essay Dear Respondent: I am BBA student of North South University doing a survey for the partial fulfillment of Intership report that involves the practice of HR functions in indigenious companies . It will take only few minutes of your time. Your response would be of great help in accomplishing the study. However, this information is only for academic purpose and will not be disclosed elsewhere. I heartily thank you for your cooperation. For the following questions, PLEASE tick (v) your answer according to the degree of your agreement. [e. g. 5 = ‘highly agree’, 4 = ‘moderately agree’, 3 = ‘agree’, 2 = ‘moderately disagree’, 1 =‘highly disagree’] Company/Firm: ________________ Position: ______________ Education level: ______ Tenure of job: ________ Gender: _______ Age: _____ Total number of employees: _____ Independent variable: Section One Workplace Environment (IV)12345 1. Employees are not required to report what they hav e done in training (away from the job). 2. Employees have not been trained to recognize and handle difficult situation at critical market conditions. 3. Employees have not been tranied to recognize and handle threatening, aggressive, or violent behavior. . Management provide a safe working place for all employees. 5. Management promote high standards of employee health. 6. Do management and employees do volunteer jobs or any changes that can bring out the best within the organization? Independent varible: Section Two Recruitment and selection12345 1. A systemic recruitment and selection process pulls out the best candidate from the alternatives. 2. Recruitment and selection can bring success to short-term functional and long term strategic goals 3. Your organization follows all the best method of Recruitment and selection process. 4. To overcome the rapid change in the market, various new methods of Recruitment and selection should be followed. 5. Not all positions require various stages of Recruitment and selection. Independent variable: Section Three Compensation and Benefits12345 1. Compensation should relfect one’s performace in workplace. 2. Compensation and benefits is a vital tool of motivation. 3. There are various benefits in your organization. 4. Pay-for-knowledge systems are a way to translate TD results on the job. 5. All managers in your organization should be involved in active planning of Compensation and benefits with employees. 6. Non-moneytary benefits like a day off, food and accomondation is also welcomed. 7. There should be a clear direction of earning various Compensation at for different jobs. Independent variable: Section Four Performance Apprisal12345 1. Performance Apprisal should be the chief indicator for reward decisions such as promotion, increments etc. 2. A well desgined Performance Apprisal evaluates the effectiveness and contribution of employees at all levels. 3. Performance Apprisal helps to understand the feedback of employees. 4. For the growth of a successful organization Performance Apprisal evaluates the selection and classification of workers. . Performance Apprisal helps to improve the employee’s quality of performance. 6. A well developed Performance Apprisal of each employee should help management to effectively do HR planning and long term high profit margin. Independent variable: Section Five Training and Development Framework (IV) 12345 1. TD system advances the organizati ons mission and is exploited as a source of strategic advantage 2. Policy statements provide clear and consistent communication regarding expected attitudes and behaviors that support learning. 3. In many organizations TD policies are established as a part of structured career paths. . Benchmark organizations derive the content of TD from their strategic objectives, culture and values and their present and predicted competency and skill needs. 5. After every cycle of planning, implementing and evaluating a program the organization must be ready and willing to make the modifications to the program based on evaluation information. 6. TD program can overcome the risks associated with market uncertainty 7. Leadership through TD is a source of competitive advantage 8. TD brings the overall development of the organization. Dependent variable: Section Six Employee Outcomes (DV)12345 1. I feel better off after a successful training and I am motivated to apply my new skills in the role of activities. 2. I feel that selection and recruitment process in the beginning helped me to adjust the orgnization. 3. Performance Apprisal in my organzation is good source for me to increase my quality and speed. 4. I believe my organziation provides a good and safe environment that really motivates me to work effectively. 5. I have the ability to address problems and take advantage of opportunities for constructive change. 6. Compensation and benefits of my organization is done on the basis of true HR practice. Dependent variable: Section Seven Organization performance (DV)12345 1. Every year my organzation is expanding because of a systamic HR planning and practice. 2. I always feel positive working in the office 3. I have the willingness and my organization understand my desire for aquiring new knowledge. 4. I have the ability to be flexible and adapt to changes because of learning environment I have in my organization 5. My organization is paying high because of increment of revenue every year. ?Any other opinion/suggestion/recommendation that you may have or has not been covered yet:  ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬

Water Privatization in Argentina Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Water Privatization in Argentina - Essay Example Owing to the presence of outstanding externalities, there is the need for the proper elimination of sanitation residuals that taint the sector. Water privatisation seeks to participation of the private sector with regard to provision of sanitary and water services to residents of the said region. The concept of water privatisation has remained controversial the world over, with the proponents presenting the efficiency and quality services delivered. Privatisation in the water industry often entails three aspects namely outsourcing, design, building and operation, and asset sale. This way, private companies can be contracted to provide various water and sanitary services in accordance to the stipulations agreed on. The companies are often required to design, build and operate a comprehensive system for the dispensation of water services to residents. The process also involves the release of government-owned assets or companies to the private sector for running and maintenance. This pa per seeks to highlight water privatisation in Argentina with regard to history and aspects relating to effects in the society. Privatisation was widespread throughout Latin America in the 1990s including Chile, Brazil, Bolivia, and Argentina to name but a few. During the early 1990’s privatization of services and liberalization of exchange and trade systems was regarded as an easy solution to the problems of deteriorating infrastructure and unbalanced public finances. These changes contributed to economic stability and increased growth as part of a program of direct foreign investment that began in 1995 until the late 1990’s when political instability and social tensions affected economic performance. Argentina forms a prime example of privatisation in the water sector that received backing from the International Monetary fund and the World Bank (Huey, 2010). The period between 1991 and 1999 saw the successful privatisation of water and sanitary services in Argentina t o covering 60% of the population in 28% of the countries municipals. Previously, water services had been under the management of public enterprises at the provincial level and as such, the government had no jurisdiction with regard to privatisation (Galiani et al, 2005).Under these circumstances, the country relied on a single company, ObrasSanitarias de la Nacion (OSN), to deliver water and sanitary services. The company held the largest operation in its mandate with regard to infrastructure and clientele. Seeing the need for change in the status quo, the World Bank exerted pressure on the Argentine government to decentralise the services (Olleta, 2007).The privatisation of OSN came about three years later after the initial appointment following restructuring changes that were required. A French company through its subsidiary, sought to purchase the government-run water company and establish a new company by the Aguas Argentinas. This move was aided by the World Bank who has stakes in the consortium as it funded the company in support of the comprehensive privatisation program. The company was charged with task of supplying clean water to the citizens as well as transporting and treating sewage. The company made returns on their investment and was regarded as a success owing to their enormous profits (Public Citizen, 2003). The concession contract was, however revoked in 2006 after 13 years of services to the citizens; with the main reason believed to contribute to the cancellation of the concession was the economic crisis in the years following 2000. The government argued that the company failed to achieve its targets as cited in the contract with regard

My Nursing Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My Nursing Philosophy - Essay Example The nature and aspect of taking care of other people in the field of health is an incredible phenomenon to most nurses. Personally, I consider it a calling to assist and aid people who are in need of medical assistance and care in this field. The care of individuals from all walks of life and the different circumstances that every one of them faces is what drives me to be better at what I do. In advocating and promoting for a safe environment in which individuals of all ages, sex, and backgrounds can acquire treatment and rehabilitation, I can say that this field offers me satisfaction, which makes me believe I am changing the world. This is even if it is in the smallest way possible. Nursing, in my opinion, is the use of clinical judgment to protect, advocate, and promote for an environment that allows people to heal and live their lives to the fullest. Health is one of the elements in nursing that aids nurses in trying to comprehend the manner in which patients are to be treated wh ile in their care. The use of every available power in the nurse’s repertoire is required in this case to allow the natural order of things to take control when caring for a sick person. It is the nurse’s duty to ensure that the patient is as comfortable as they need to be while providing them with the necessary help. This is in terms of clinical assistance that may allow them to go back to their natural state of health. Nightingale (1859/1992) claimed that the art of nursing is to â€Å"unmake what God had made disease.† This statement indicates that the primary goal of nursing should be the patient’s health, which should take precedence over everything else (Parker & Smith, 2010). Environment The environment in which most patients are exposed to may determine the existing health conditions. Poor and deteriorating environments can lead to poor health and a higher level of diseases. The doctors and physicians present in the healthcare environment need to be particularly careful when handling the sickly. Doctors may be the most crucial factor in the healing of sick people in the hospital. It is the belief of countless individuals that the doctor’s clinical and professional decision in the healthcare environment is final. Failure to abide by these decisions may lead to dire consequences. It is, therefore; crucial for most of the physicians in the field to be in a position to handle most of the cases that are reported in health facilities. Maintaining an aura of professionalism on the physician’s part can work toward preserving a patient’s dignity. This is what the medical environment should be all about, and nurses assist in making this a reality. Nursing It may be different from practicing medicine because nursing is all about care of the patient/client. Placing an individual in need of care, in the best conditions, is the principle element behind nursing. Promoting health through some of the activities in the nu rsing field is what brings out the caring aspect of nurses, which differentiates them from physicians and doctors. Creating the conditions that best suit the patient can be done by anyone, but nurses know what best to do in certain, if not all situations. The proper use of different elements in the health environment should help restore clients to their natural state. Elements such as; fresh air, cleanliness, quiet, and administration of proper diet are vital to the patient’s healing. Person The biological, spiritual, psychological, and social aspects of persons/clients/patients make them multidimensional. This makes every individual unique to their present situation, and how they might relate to their medical conditions. Dealing with all individuals, regardless of their age, is difficult. Take for instance a case where an individual may be dying from an incurable disease and has already given up and may not want treatment to help them cope with their situation. Such a case i s particularly difficult for nurses